Children, young people and families deserve timely access to the best care experiences and a system that is easy to navigate. We not only practise quality improvement (QI) as an organization, but we also actively work to bolster our sector’s QI knowledge and know-how, to improve mental health services and outcomes.

Why quality improvement matters

QI is about striving to do better by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of activities and processes (like reducing wait times or eliminating barriers to services). Practising QI helps to quickly identify and respond to our sector’s evolving needs and to always innovate, evolve and enhance programs and services.

Leading the Quest for quality improvement

In 2020, we launched Quest, our child and youth mental health-tailored quality improvement program. We offer group learning based on Lean Six Sigma methodology and coach participating organizations through QI projects centred on system-level priorities.

Check out the Quest one-pager to learn more about the project’s latest milestones.

Browse previous projects

2021–22

In 2021, six teams began to work on QI projects broadly addressing care pathways. Project topics include improving referral practices, enhancing waitlist management and standardizing processes.
2020–21

In 2020, 10 teams joined our Quest program to work on QI projects around the theme of care pathways. Project topics include streamlining intake and triage processes and improving wait times.

Learn more about the selected projects

Want to be part of Quest?

We aren’t currently accepting applications. Subscribe to our Field Notes e-newsletter to always stay up to date on our latest news, including calls for proposals.

Webinars

Missed out on our previous webinars? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Check out our past webinars:

QI in community mental health and addictions: Not just another buzzword

This is the first webinar in our collaborative series with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Addictions and Mental Health Ontario and Health Quality Ontario. Presenters highlight the state of transformation within the health sector, and the ongoing emphasis on quality. They also provide an overview of the role of quality improvement in the community mental health and addictions sector and share how the Excellence through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP) supports the sector.

Watch the webinar
QI in community mental health and addictions: QI trailblazers

This is the second webinar in our collaborative series with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Addictions and Mental Health Ontario and Health Quality Ontario. Presenters share how an existing problem or opportunity can prompt an organization to initiate quality improvement work, describe what steps should be taken at the outset and discuss how data can help tell the story.

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QI culture: Pro tips from the field

This is the third and final webinar in our collaborative series with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Addictions and Mental Health Ontario and Health Quality Ontario. Presenters help viewers gain a deeper understanding of what it means to foster a culture of continuous quality improvement, identify tools and techniques for assessing quality improvement culture and invite community mental health and addictions agencies to share what this looks like in practice.

Watch the webinar